DOWRY

What is dowry? Why it is becoming increasingly common in Pakistan..?? Do we ever think who the culprit behind this curse of the dowry is? In olden times family nobility was preferred and people used to consider how religious and modest the girl is! Now people see status and wealth no matter whether it came from fair or unfair means.

According to Qur’anic principle eating someone else's money is prohibited. Unjust demands of dowry are also assessed in this context. There is no concept of demanding anything without payment, the Qur'an says:
"Do not eat each other's money unfairly".

On another occasion the Qur'an says,

"O believers! Consume not unjustly property of one another"(Al-Nisa verse 29)
so it is clear that the Qur'an does not approve of unjust demands of a heavy dowry. If a girl's parents want to offer something to their daughter then it is permissible. But the groom or his family can never demand anything or force the bride's family to give dowry, it comes under a type of bribe and bribery is not allowed in Islam. As according to one hadith,

"One, who takes a bribe or gives a bribe, both will go to hell".

 There is no harm for giving the brides gifts on her wedding for her home. The growing numbers of daughters are staying unmarried simply because the parents are not able to meet the demand of the groom’s family. Marriage which is something sacred should be made as simple as possible.

Our holy prophet (P.B.U.H) says, “The most advantageous nikah (marriage) is the one which is the easiest.”

The practice of dowry among ignorant Muslims is a result of the influence of the evil practices of the society they live in. Islam does not put any financial burden on the father of the girl. A Muslim father is told to get her daughter married away in a most simple ‘Nikah’ ceremony solemnized by a ‘Qazi’ (priest) in a mosque, witnessed by his close relatives and friends then why we people forget our golden teachings of Islam and making our life’s miserable…??? Think and take step from your place..!!!